A Bittersweet End
by Subject37
Summary: After Harry, Ron and Voldemorts deaths, Hermione is in denial. She begins to have thoughts for a certain friend, she never thought she would. But what is her reaction after her friend denies her of living her fantacies? And what is their reaction to hers?


Hermione sat in the overstuffed chair in Gryffindor common room. _The flames red, just like **her** hair. _Hermione closed her eyes; she couldn't get her off her mind. _She is my last resort for happiness, I can't let her find out my thoughts. If I loose her, I will have nothing. Harry and Ron are gone, at least Voldemort is too. _Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder, it was her. Hermione's eyes bolted open.

Ginny's eyes flashed bright-red, her hair was exaggerated; both from the fire-light. Hermione gasped at her sudden appearance.

"Are you ok? You've seemed a bit more upset lately." Ginny asked, concerned. Hermione shook her head, looked down towards the fire. Hermione's emotions were caught in her throat, she didn't want to show that she was about to cry.

"Hermione," Ginny said, Hermione refused to look at her. Ginny kneeled next to her, and put her hand on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione closed her eyes, savouring the moment inside, showing pain outside. "Hermione," Ginny said again.

Hermione opened her eyes, "How do you do it?" she asked suddenly. Ginny had no idea whst she was talking about.

"Do what?" inquired the younger girl.

"Be happy? How do you always make things seem better, happier? Sometimes you make it seem as if Harry and Ron aren't even gone, as if they were just next to us in the room." Hermione just about lost control of her emotions. She half-sobbed, it caught in her throat, but her face remained dry.

Ginny looked down for a moment, then before responding looked up and smiled. "Well, quite simply, because I pretend that they are in the room with us." her smile turned coy.

Hermione half smiled; _I've missed seeing that, _the younger girl thought, but then made a face of disgust, _How could I have had thought that?_

Hermione looked at her quizzically, but then thought it would've been better not to ask. "I see, why didn't I ever think of that?" she said smiling full-out, before it faded when she thought of her situation that she was in. The girl in front of her, holding her shoulder, was the girl that she loved. Hermione had always been battling herself with her desires, but in the end she succumbed to the powerful emotion of love.

"Why?" the younger girl heard the elder say softly. Ginny looked at Hermione with a confused look. Hermione closed her eyes, shutting them tight, keeping the welling tears from falling. Her emotions were high, she felt them rising further, it wasn't Harry and Rons' deaths, no, it was way more personal, _love_.

"Why what?"the red-head asked. Hermione just shook her head, she was starting to be afraid that if she got too close to Ginny, that she would instantly know.

Ginny went between Hermione and the flames. Instantly her back began to heat, she didn't care though; she wanted to know what was wrong with her best-friend, or the shell of her best friend. Ginny moved closer to Hermione, relieving the heat; and caressed her cheek.

Hermione's eyes bolted open faster than lightning, the tears she was holding back flowed freely. She began to sob, uncontrollably; Ginny being the only one at present, sat beside the weeping girl and gave her her shoulder to lean on.

"Gin', I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything that has happened in the past few months, it's all my fault." Hermione said shakily between her sobs. Ginny wrapped her arms around the nearly hysterical girl, resting her head on Hermione's.

"Shhh, it isn't your fault, many other people could have been hurt if you hadn't been there, you performed heroic actions, things I probably wouldn't have been able to do." Ginny said, soothing Hermione. Hermione took a deep breath, finally taking control of herself. But she didn't move, she was comfortable and in the arms of her beloved, she closed her eyes yet again. Ginny, being a good friend, wouldn't move until Hermione did.

Hermione didn't want to move: Ginny's body heat was being absorbed into her, and she was giving her own heat to her. Ginny's scent was intoxicating, a mixture of vanilla and coconut mixed with her chemistry. "Ginny, the reason I've been so distant lately is–" the words caught in Hermione's mouth.

"You don't have to tell me, I will wait, you know that you can tell me anything, right?" Ginny said. She felt the older girls' head bob up and down in a nod. She started to stroke the back of Hermione's head, running her fingers through the labyrinth of tangled locks.

Hermione felt a tingling sensation run down her spine as she felt the girl's fingers go through her hair. She never did open her eyes; she leaned closer to the younger girl. She felt Ginny shift her position, rather than facing slightly away from her, Ginny turned so that she was facing her full out. Hermione's head rested on Ginny's chest, it now moved back and forth with the pace of Ginny's breathing.

Hermione opened her eyes at last; she noticed a stray strand of red hair only centimeters away from her nose. She took the strand in between her fore-finger and thumb, twirling it around her finger. Ginny felt the slight tug on her scalp, _what is she doing? _she asked herself. She didn't know what to do, but before she did anything else, she held Hermione's hand in hers'. They both looked at their hands, both hands feminine and petite.

Despite herself, Hermione pulled herself out from Ginny's embrace, and looked her friend in the eyes. With her free hand, she told Ginny her deepest secret by caressing her cheek. Ginny looked away for a moment or two, she understood what Hermione meant by the gesture, but she wouldn't accept it. She looked back, finding it in herself to accept the simple fact. The truth was, she was fighting off the thoughts Hermione herself fought off earlier that year.

She realized then, that she did enjoy Hermione's company, much more than Luna's. She squeezed Hermione's hand, and placed her free hand on the back of the elder girl's head, pulling her closer.

Hermione snaked her arm around Ginny's waist, thus pulling each other closer. They paused, looking at each other longingly. The air between the two girls was thinning, they could feel each others' breath on her own cheek. The air that separated the girls was severed, their lips connected to form a passionate kiss. Ginny still held Hermione's hand, but had moved her other hand to Hermione's cheek. Hermione had closed her eyes. Ginny had regretfully pulled away.

Hermione's eyes flew open, sadness filling them. Ginny looked down at her friend sorrowfully, "I'm sorry. But this isn't right; but do know that I have been battling myself lately over my feelings towards you. Tonight they overcame me. I love you, but only as far as girls can go. I repeat I'm sorry." She took her hands away from her friend's body, putting them on either side of Hermione's face, and kissed her forehead.

At that Ginny rose, and walked across the common room and made her way up staircase leading to the Girls' Dormitory. Hermione sat in the chair, too stunned to even move.

She wouldn't cry again, but her mind went blank, _What just happened?_ she asked herself over and over. She was devastated. _Goodbye, Life,_ she thought.

She pulled out her wand, and muttered the words of the killing curse, wand pointed at herself. She collapsed into the chair.

(A/N) Please, if you will, review it, I don't care if they're flamings or not, I just need any kind of review to be happy. So yeah, I also wrote this on a school night, so it may or may not make sense. Ok, I'll continue if I get at least five reviews. Shall I, or shall I not continue this little story of sadness?... you tell me…


End file.
